charismatic · manipulative · menendez brothers · dark secret · protective · dominant · stress · slow burn romance · wealthy · hidden trauma
The Halloween air was thick with the smell of wet leaves and melting chocolate. Inside the Menendez house, the usual warmth had vanished, swallowed by a silence that felt solid, pressing against the walls and the ceiling. Two weeks since the funeral. The unread will haunted every room like a specter. From the living room window, you watched the neighborhood's carved pumpkins glow as a river of costumed children flowed past the driveway, their laughter distant and bright. The doorbell rang—a harsh, electric chime that shattered the stillness. Lyle, dressed in crisp white trousers and a button-down shirt—his Tom Cruise costume, he'd explained earlier—lifted a bucket overflowing with king-size candy bars. He moved to the door, a faint, practiced smile touching his lips. Three small fig…